Duncans vs. Gibsons?

fatboywhitney

fatboywhitney

New member
I am shopping to replace my Duncan Designed pups in my Schecter C-1+. PAF style is the choice. Maybe SD 59's or PG's. Maybe 57's or 490's. Can someone tell my why Seymour Duncan pups are better, OR are they? I know this is a SD forum so forgive me. Will I get that original PAF sound or at least close to it?
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

Dude no problem...Im still using my stok pups...Im in no hurry in changing them YET it's a matter of preference though, and what style of music you will be playing. The way I look at it with Duncan that is what they do! Gibson on the other hand you know them by the guitar making....which are some of the best IMO, but there are small custom shops that could make a better sounding guitar (Warmoth) For an example. What im trying to say is that Gibsons pickups aren't bad, they are good, They are probably not stellar and spend there money or marbles in the pup makin basked LOL.
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

I don't think that there's anything wrong with Gibson pickups. The majority of my Gibsons (including Lizzie, my '76 LP Custom and one of my front line instruments and my "wife", a '78 SG Standard) have stock pups. Duncans allow a "fine tuning", as it were, of your instrument's sound. But ya know, guitars are a collection of parts, and if the combination isn't right, then it just doesn't work...
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

I just give the stock pickups the benefit of the doubt, and play them for a few months.
If I know the guitar would benefit from better pickups, I think to myself which Duncans would be best. You can mess with all brands of pickups, but Duncan has split enough hairs to give you an exact sound. That's why most of my guitars have Duncans, yet a few kept their signature sound.....PRS McCarty, Schecter US Tele.
There will always be a few that pass the test.
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

I had the stock 490/498t's in my LP Studio for a good couple of years before I decided that I wanted to upgrade.

The Gibson PU's are OK, but the Duncans are more, err, how can I say this?... to the point I suppose, they know what they are about, the Gibsons are kinda non-descript IMO.
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

Thanks people. The stocks are out. Been using them for 2 1/2 years and never happy with the bridge pup.(too hot, weird sound) Now I gotta decide which ones.
Mahogany body, figured map top, map set neck w/rose fretboard. Push pull split means I have to stick with 4 conductor pups. Classic Rock, Blues, Blues Rock. The Seths sound awesome Simon F, I think they have single conductor cable though.
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

fatboywhitney said:
Push pull split means I have to stick with 4 conductor pups. Classic Rock, Blues, Blues Rock. The Seths sound awesome Simon F, I think they have single conductor cable though.
Click to expand...

I think they can be special-ordered with 4-conductor. You've mentioned PGs and '59s. Don't forget Alnico II Pros - they have vintage-type output and are 4-conductor. They have a lot of fans here.
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

Simon's thread put it well. The duncans are more 3 dimentional, and you can fine tune your sound. The pups are usually meant to cover a very broak spectrum of tones, but not one particularly well.

To me factory pups (fender gibson etc) are like plain cookie dough. You can eat it on its own and it tastes alright. But wouldn't it be nice to put in some m&m's? chocolate chips? macadamia nuts? The plain cookie is still a cookie although not my favorite.

Luke
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

Good analogy. The trouble with Seymour Duncan "cookies" is they're so more-ish. :)
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

Very awesome feedback. Now to decide. Alnico ll pros are in the running! Out of the PG's, A II Pros and '59's, should I go matched set or mix and match. I like the look the nickle covers add to my guitar. Will they match as well?
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

Entirely my opinion but Duncans sound better than the majority of stock pups out there. More expressive, clearer, articulate, etc. The Gibson BBs are okay, but other than that I'd go with Duncan's. Sound is so subjective though hehe.
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

fatboywhitney said:
Very awesome feedback. Now to decide. Alnico ll pros are in the running! Out of the PG's, A II Pros and '59's, should I go matched set or mix and match. I like the look the nickle covers add to my guitar. Will they match as well?
Click to expand...

I have a Jazz in the neck and an A2P in the bridge of my heritage 150 which is built like a LP. The mixed pups and mags don't matter, let your ears guide you.

Luke
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

Sooo confusing, but I'm getting a handle on it. Seems I'm going to like the Jazz after some research in SD website and the feedback I'm getting. The Custom 5 is not one I've considered but seems like a good choice. I'm into blues, rough blues, think Tab Benoit's "muddy bottom blues" or Tinsley Ellis' "Wanted Man"or "I walk alone". I think I could get a good crunch for, say AC/DC's "House of Jazz" or Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion". Also some sweet and clean slow blues solos with a jazzy feel with this combo. I even betting I could get some SRV sounds with the coil split at the neck through my Fender Deluxe. I sort of get that now with the Duncan Designed import neck pup but should be a lot better with the SH-2 Jazz.
Anyone-- am I on track? I am brand new to learning this stuff. I've spent the last 3 yrs. learning to play, really play guitar and finally I am searching out my sounds. I'm lucky to have stumbled across this forum (although it was bound to happen).
Gearjoneser: Nice gear, How envious can one man be? Right on.
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

To get the sounds your describing I definitely think you are on the right track pup wise. A set of Jazzes, or the jazz/C5. Gearjoneser swears by the C5 where others of us have had less than favorable results (me lol) due to the scooped nature of the pup. It's an overwound PAF. The JB is another option. It is a high output pup with a high mids spike, it will give you that good raw sound and is articulate as well.

I think AC/DC I think A5 magnets. Tight low end with good treble

Luke
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

Thanks. I'm pretty sure Jazz is the one. Now to decide on bridge. JB, C5, A ll Pro, PG's. You think an Jazz would soun good in the bridge as well? I don't want too much treble, I have that now with the DDesigns. I think they're a "59/Jb import combo.
but not 100% sure. I'm getting there with this pup decision. If I had bucks to burn it wouldn't be so hard now would it. :)
 
Re: Duncans vs. Gibsons?

Man I think AC/DC I think bright. So that's why I said a jazz bridge pup as well, but it's going to be a vintage output, if that's alright with you. For clean stuff I don't think there are s a better pup than the jazz/s or jb. For jazzy stuff you are going to need clarity and in my book that's where the jazz excels, clarity under gain and clean. If you get the JB plan on putting in a 250k ohm pot if you don't already have one to tame down the brightness.

The A2P is going to give you a more midrangey vintage tone than the jazz, with a more even string to string response. The PG is going to be like the A2P but more midrange still and a bit more in the presence knob frequencies.

Luke
 
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